Old Familiar Faces

Watts-Dunton, Theodore, 1832-1914Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 393K words
Chapters: 40

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Old Familiar Faces by Theodore Watts-DuntonAuthor: Watts-Dunton, Theodore, 1832-1914,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Oct 25, 2008

Editor's review

Old Familiar Faces is an English work by Theodore Watts-Dunton, classified under English literature. Judging from the title and the author’s identity, it has a retrospective and memorial quality, and it is best understood within the reading tradition of English literary essays and character sketches. Watts-Dunton was active in the English literary world from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century, and his prose often pays attention to rhythm and word choice; reading it requires a slower pace to appreciate the pauses and moods between sentences. As a public-domain e-book, it is more suitable for readers with some grounding in English literary reading, as supplementary material for understanding the literary tastes of that era rather than as an introductory text. It is best treated as bedside reading: read a small passage at a time, notice how the author sketches people and scenes in plain language, and do not rush.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in English literary essays and character sketches
Literature lovers with some English foundation who are willing to read slowly and carefully
Readers who want to understand the writing style of the late nineteenth-century English literary world
Students who need public-domain English material for extended reading

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for tightly plotted fiction
Beginners with little English reading experience who need annotated assistance
Readers who prefer contemporary subjects and a contemporary feel

Reading tips

Read a short section at a time, then summarize it in your own words.
For long sentences, first identify the main clause, then go back to the modifiers.
Keep a notebook to record recurring names and scenes.
Read alongside other English literary essays to appreciate differences in style.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for English beginners?

Not very. The work belongs to early twentieth-century English literary writing, and its language is distant from contemporary English; sentence structure and word choice may pose obstacles for beginners. Readers with intermediate or higher reading ability who are willing to look up words and read slowly will find it easier to get into.

Is this book a novel or an essay collection?

Judging from the title and the literary category, it is closer to literary writing with a memorial and character-impression quality than to plot-driven fiction. The exact genre should be determined by the original book’s content, but readers should not expect strong plot momentum; they should focus on language and character sketching.

Why is scattered reading recommended rather than reading straight through?

This kind of writing has a slower rhythm and emphasizes atmosphere and word choice; reading it continuously can be tiring. Scattered reading keeps each session fresh and makes it easier to pause and savor passages, which better suits how this kind of literary writing is received.

Comments

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About the author

Watts-Dunton, Theodore, 1832-1914 Author · British · 1832–1914

Theodore Watts-Dunton (1832–1914) was a British poet, critic and novelist, best known for Aylwin and Old Familiar Faces. Active in British literary circles from the late Victorian period into the Edwardian era, he was noted chiefly for his literary criticism and poetry; his critical writing combined sensitivity with judgment and carried some influence among his contemporaries. The novel Aylwin blends romance with psychological portrayal and attracted readers upon publication, earning him recognition as a novelist. Public information about the details of his life is limited, and existing accounts concentrate largely on his literary activities and works. Two of his works are held in this collection, offering readers a sense of his creative range and style.